


Chionophile

by seasalticecream32



Series: Merlin Christmas 2015 [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Dinner, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 15:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5545004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasalticecream32/pseuds/seasalticecream32
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: You’re always picking fights and I’m the one who has to use my charm and way with words to stop them from getting out of hand. + No, I’m not asking you to stop, I’m telling you to stop or you will literally die. + My Mom My sister knitted you a sweater.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chionophile

When Arthur found Merlin on December 21st, the dollophead was passed out in his car with a nasty looking knot on his head. Arthur would be lying if he said his heart didn’t speed up at the sight of it, that he didn’t rush to the door and yank it open a bit harder than maybe necessary.

If he pulled the damn door off the car, maybe Merlin would stop living in it.

He bent over Merlin and shook him, hand gripped too tight on Merlin’s shoulder. Merlin’s shirt was frozen to his skin, bits of ice crunching under Arthur’s fingers. “Merlin, you idiot, wake up.”

Merlin mumbled and swung a hand in Arthur’s direction, tugging his ice-crunchy sweatshirt tighter. His lashes were tinged white, his lips too pale and his cheeks ghostly white. Arthur cursed loud and dragged Merlin from the car door.

“I’m going to have to start charging you for this. I’m not supposed to keep saving your sorry ass every time you get in a scrape.” Arthur grumbled, but pulled Merlin out into the ice-slick street and slung Merlin’s arm over his shoulders. He yanked open the back door, flinching as it swung a bit too easily and squealed loud. He didn’t want to really break Merlin’s car. Merlin would probably kill him. Still, it was far too cold for Merlin to be clinging so hard to his inadequate mobile home. Arthur had been arguing with him for weeks to try to get him to move into his apartment, but Merlin kept insisting he wanted to save up for his own.

It was frustrating. Merlin had been homeless since before he and Arthur had begun talking, and had been fighting even longer. No amount of pestering from his friends could make Merlin accept help. Merlin would take on the world to save a single person, but he seemed impossibly stubborn about letting others help him.

Arthur hadn’t been the only one who’d offered. As the temperatures dropped steadily into freezing and below, Morgana and Gwen had all but begged him to stay with them. He’d only gone tight lipped and forced a smile while insisting he’d be out of his car in no time.

That had been at least a month ago. Arthur shook his head as he pulled out the now ragged quilt from the back. Merlin said his mother had made it. The patchy, lumpy cover was Merlin’s most prized possession.

Merlin was stirring at Arthur’s arms, blinking slowly as frost fell into his eyes. “What’re you doing here so early?”

‘You can ask questions after you’ve warmed up,” Arthur snapped, and shoved the blanket over Merlin’s shoulders. “Until then, shut up and preserve your body heat. If there’s any left.”

Merlin’s numb lips twitched into a smile. “I can think of some ways to warm up.” He nuzzled his ridiculously cold nose against Arthur’s neck and sighed. The cover wasn’t remotely warm, but it probably felt burning compared to Merlin’s icicle limbs.

“You can’t do this, Merlin,” Arthur ground out, ignoring Merlin’s unsubtle attempt to flirt. “I am going to show up here one day and you’re going to have frozen to death in your car.”

“I’d meant to call and tell you to pick me up.” Merlin rolled his eyes, though he bit his bottom lip and pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders. “You worry too much. You freak out on me during summer too.”

“Yes, well, you know heat stroke is a thing that also exists. Houses exist for a reason,” Arthur spat out, without thinking. He scrunched his nose, what he said hitting him all at once. He hadn’t meant for it to come out so harsh.

Merlin shuffled off of Arthur’s shoulder and walked a bit ahead of him. “Look, just because you have all the resources you need to get a nice job and a nice apartment doesn’t mean I got that, too. Wouldn’t you know it, I haven’t managed to stop being homeless long enough to go job searching for something that pays well.”

“Merlin, you know I—”

“Of course, if you weren’t such an ass, you’d have maybe asked why I fell asleep before I managed to call you, since, you know, I don’t have a death wish.” Merlin scowled, and opened his mouth to continue.

Arthur interrupted him, arms crossed. He was red-faced by now. “You could have fooled me! Where’d you get that knot on your head, hm, _Mer_ lin? Off fighting again? You keep getting in these fights and you won’t let anyone help you. I know you have issues or whatever, but you don’t have to take on the world alone, you know! That’s what boyfriends are supposed to be for!”

“Look, jack ass, I wasn’t fighting! I was working an extra shift so I could get you something for Christmas, you absolute prat.” Merlin stomped to the back of his car and kicked the trunk as hard as he could. The back popped up with a horrible screech, and Merlin yanked out a long, thin package and shoved it into Arthur’s arms, nearly dropping his quilt into the snow. “I slipped on a patch of ice on the way back with it, and knocked my head on the curb, but you know, it’s all the same to you right? I’m just your fuck up boyfriend with issues?” Merlin growled and stomped back to his car, scrambling in and slamming the door shut before Arthur could stop him.

Arthur watched Merlin squeal around the curb and down the street, the red of his taillights burning through the whirling snow.

“He’s going to waste all his gas,” Arthur murmured, then glanced down at the sloppily wrapped present in his hand.

He thought about open it, but it wasn’t Christmas yet, and Merlin would be pissed later if he came back and Arthur hadn’t waited.

Of course, Arthur’s big, ridiculous mouth had gotten the best of him again, and now there was no telling how long this would last. Besides, there was snow and ice on the road, and Merlin’s car was a piece of shit on the best of days. Any number of things could cause that car to go off into a horrible spiral. Merlin hadn’t replaced the tires on it since that one summer two years ago when Arthur had insisted on replacing them for Merlin’s birthday. Arthur had a horrible image of Merlin’s car spinning out of control and crashing into a tree or a ditch or… anything, and pulled out his phone.

It rang three times, before someone answered with a huff of annoyance. “What?”

“Hey Morgana. Over at Gwen’s again?” He held his phone with his shoulder and rubbed his free hand over his face.

“You knew I would be.” Morgana sighed. “What did you do now, dear brother?”

“I may have accused Merlin of fighting, and insinuated he had issues.” Arthur closed his eyes and waited for Morgana’s rant to end. “And then he drove off in a huff of anger after tossing a package at me.”

“By package, are you referring to the present he bought you? The one he was very excitedly texting Gwen about a few hours ago?” Morgana clicked her teeth when Arthur didn’t answer. “Yeah, you do have that habit of sticking your foot in your mouth. So what, you want me to come in here and help you sweet talk Merlin back into your good graces?”

“Well, I’m more worried that his stupid car is going to end up wrapped around a tree, but yeah, whatever you feel like doing Morgana.” Heaven knows Arthur wouldn’t be able to stop her. “Just come give me a ride.”

“You really should get a car of your own, little brother. Learn to be more independent and whatnot.” He could hear Morgana moving on the other side of the line, and Gwen called out for her to hurry up from the distance. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

The line clicked off and Arthur sat and waited. He didn’t have to tell Morgana where to find him. Merlin always parked in the same car park.

It was strange, really, that Merlin could hole up in a random, grown over park and stay there for a few days, and suddenly it was months later and that park was Merlin’s spot. Having a homeless boyfriend was difficult, but Arthur hadn’t expected it to stay this difficult all the time.

He hadn’t expected Merlin to be so stubborn about earning things on his own and doing things his own way. He’d always assumed that once he could offer Merlin a place to live, they’d live together and things would be easier.

Then they’d graduated and Arthur had gotten his job working for his father’s office and he’d started trying to move things over from Merlin’s car and that had been the biggest fight of their entire relationship.

He still didn’t know why Merlin said no.

He was still contemplating it when Morgana drove up, her shiny red car like a fiery beacon in the white landscape. She honked at him as he moved around to the driver’s side and scooted into the back seat. He hadn’t realized how cold his feet had become until they were on the heated floor and the numbness in his toes had started to melt. The sensation only brought thoughts of Merlin’s feet cramped up and frozen on his floorboards of his crap car. The damned thing barely had heating, certainly not enough to combat a storm like this.

“Stop moping and tell me where he’s headed.” Morgana quirked an eyebrow at him from the rearview mirror.

“I don’t know. He’s drove off being stupid and reckless, again.” Arthur scowled and tried to ignore the heated seat warmers making him feel guilty. It wasn’t his fault that Merlin was so stubborn. “He probably doesn’t even know where he’s going.”

“Hm. He’s probably heading to that flower shop, then.” Gwen squinted out at the swirling snow. “He likes to go there when he’s upset.”

Arthur looked at Gwen, and his scowl deepened when she shot him an accusing look. “What? How do you even know that? I’m his boyfriend, I’m supposed to know stuff like that.”

“Such a charmer, isn’t he, Gwen?” Morgana said, dryly. “Look, Gwen’s his best friend. She knows stuff you don’t know, and you know stuff she doesn’t know.”

“I think knowing where Merlin goes when he’s upset is on the list of things I should know.” Arthur mumbled, but settled on looking out the window. At least now he’d know this place existed.

“Ok, so what has you up in a tiff, then?” Gwen asked, and leaned back in her seat to stare at Arthur.

He didn’t answer her. He only continued to stare at the ditch beside the road and hope they didn’t see any spinning wheels and ugly green paint.

They drove to the flower shop, but Merlin wasn’t there. Even when Gwen got out and called for him (Arthur had started to but Morgana had shot him a look and told him to sit back down), Merlin hadn’t responded.

They drove to a couple more places, Arthur’s hand on his Christmas present tightening until he crinkled up the paper and nearly crushed the thick box it was in. They didn’t encounter any overturned green cars, but they also didn’t encounter Merlin, so he couldn’t really consider it much of a win.

“You’re coming home with us. You’re too wound up to deal with Uther right now.”

Morgana had stopped calling Uther “Dad” around the third job he’d lost her, and she had no intentions of going to their father’s three story, decked out Christmas fortress for the awkward Pendragon Dinner-Fight. Arthur was going to have to deal with that alone. He didn’t argue with her as they drug him back to their house.

It was small, with a tiny yard enclosed in a crumbling stone fence and a single tree. They’d decorated it with brightly colored baubles and a string of popcorn that the birds had eaten. Morgana had insisted the popcorn had been put out just for that reason. The corvids had to eat in the winter too, she’d insisted. It made their house look like a witches’ winter abode, glowing orange in the windows from the kitchen light and spilling out honey-scented steam from Gwen’s crockpot fall scent recipe, black crows perched in a line atop the roof.

He stomped his boots clean of snow when he walked in and then slumped into a chair.

“So what jerkish thing did you say this time? You made him run off right before Christmas, it must have been a big deal.”

Arthur frowned and slid further down his seat, his feet spread out across their red-tiled kitchen floor. “You mean besides telling him he had issues and accusing him of fighting when he’d really been working extra-long hours?”

“Yes, besides that. You usually have a reason for thinking he was fighting. He’d be back by now if that’s all it was.” Morgana grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee, despite the moon glowing outside her window. “You said something else that must have cut a bit deeper.”

“Look, it’s not my fault that he’s too stubborn to move in. I’ve asked him at least a dozen times. And I’m not just being pushy either. We’ve been dating for three years, and we both know he was in love with me before that, so why can’t he just move in? Come back home?”

Morgana bit her lip and quirked an eyebrow at him, but didn’t say anything as she took a long, slow sip of her coffee. Steam billowed up over her nose and warmed her red cheeks.

“I mean, I get it. He’s had a hard time getting a job and he’s had a lot of struggles with his family and all that. He’s used to doing things alone. I know it’s not easy, but can’t he just let me help him? Like, he won’t even stay with us for Christmas!” Arthur grumbled and stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the swell of tears in his eyes.

Morgana put her mug down and thinned her lips, waiting for him to continue.

“I’m worried. He’s going to end up frozen to death inside his car and I’m not going to know about it until I get worried again and go check up on him and find him blue and frosted over in his seat.” Arthur leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “I mean, I’d try to help him out with rent on his own place, but I know he’d not go for that either. Why does he have to do everything alone?”

Morgana tapped her fingers against her mug and waited. When Arthur only glared at the steam still rising from her coffee, she let out a heavy sigh. “Arthur, do you ever wonder why I didn’t ask you to help me move out? Why I refused to get a job for Uther? Why I still won’t accept Uther’s occasional attempts to pay me to come back around?”

“You hate Uther. That’s not a big surprise you don’t want his help. Merlin doesn’t hate me, or you, or Gwen. That doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t hate you either, but I still didn’t ask you to help me get a job. I still didn’t ask you to move in and be my roommate. I didn’t accept your help. I didn’t even accept Gwen’s help until I’d lived on my own for a while.” Morgana took another long sip, and closed her eyes. “I can’t speak for Merlin. But a freedom that someone else gives you isn’t a freedom at all. They can always take it away. What was it you said Balinor did to him?”

“I’m not Balinor.” Arthur squirmed and scowled.

“Just, remind me what he did.” Morgana leaned back.

“The ice cream shop shut down. He didn’t tell Merlin about it, so when Merlin showed up to go to work and receive his last paycheck, all he found was a note on the door. But I’m not like that!” Arthur ran his hands through his hair. “It’s not like Merlin’s going to come home and there’s going to be a note on the door saying ‘oh, sorry, suddenly the apartment closed down and I forgot to tell you.’”

“Arthur.”

“So, what? You’re telling me he’s worried that I’ll just kick him out one day? He really thinks I’m capable of just abandoning him?” Arthur’s voice was rising, but he didn’t care. The idea that he’d stop loving or caring about Merlin long enough to kick him out into the cold was ridiculous.

“You know, I’m sure a lot of people who end up in Merlin’s situation never imagine they’d be there. He’s been abandoned before. He’s been cast off by people who were supposed to love him. It’s an understandable fear. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stand on your own two feet first.” Morgana rolled her eyes when Arthur continued to grumble, and stood to go curl up with Gwen on the couch.

Arthur knew she was right. Her and Merlin both had a knack for always being right, even when they were wrong. The only person who managed to be right all around was Gwen, and everyone envious of her.

He shuffled over to the Christmas tree and glared down at the lumpy package that was Morgana’s present to Merlin. She wrapped Gwen too. It was small and square and he knew exactly what it was, and so did Gwen. They’d bought special wine just for the event, which was now chilling in Morgana’s boxy fridge. Everything Arthur had bought was sitting under his bed in his room still, hidden safely away from Uther’s constantly searching eyes. Well, everything except for Merlin’s. He looked around and sighed, then hopped out the door to grab the long, thin package from Morgana’s back seat.

He straightened up the paper as best as he could and put it under the tree, propping it against the wall. The wrinkled, red and green striped paper looked fitting with the others. He sighed and flipped out his phone, looking to see if he had any messages.

He could hear Gwen and Morgana giggling from the couch, the two of them nearing an all-out tickle war while he stood being angsty over his boyfriend. So far, this Christmas season had sucked.

“I’m going back out, just going to walk around a bit.” Arthur grumbled as Gwen broke into a high-pitched squeal. “You two keep having fun, then.”

He was careful not to slam the door on the way out. Morgana would have killed him for that. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and flipped his collar up as high as it would go over his neck and tried to hide inside his jacket. He could see a mish-mash of brightly colored flashing lights and a looming, slightly intimidating inflatable Santa waving at him from further up the neighborhood. People in Morgana’s part of town took Christmas decorating very seriously.

It was a bit surreal walking through the snowy, Christmassy street without anyone and feeling so absolutely miserable. Christmas had always been his favorite time of year. People were celebrating and his father was busy and his sister was always around and for the past three years at least, he’d had Merlin at his side almost every day.

Their first Christmas had been a bit of a disaster. Arthur had bought Merlin a faux leather jacket and then a new steering wheel because his had kept locking up and then a new phone… and he’d maybe over done it. He’d slowly dialed it back, at Merlin’s request.

This year, the present he’d gotten for Merlin was small, and kept in a tiny box. The key weighed heavily in his pocket, where he’d been holding it since he got it made.

Arthur wasn’t sure how it would go over now. He wasn’t fool enough to ask Merlin to move in again, but he wanted Merlin to know he could come by the apartment, stay, visit, cook, do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He wondered if maybe he should have had a back-up plan.

He was just running his thumb over the worn paper and eying the horizon for unlikely signs of Merlin’s headlights, when his sister squealed around the corner. She rolled down her window and grinned at him. “Well, it’s time to take you home, little brother. We’ve got to go pick up Merlin, but he’s upset at you and wants Gwen to himself.”

“What? You’re shoving me back off to Uther’s? Merlin could just talk like a grown-up!”

“Yep. And so could you, but look at you throwing a tantrum in the middle of the street.”

Arthur scowled, but climbed into his seat.

“Merlin says he’ll be fine before Christmas, and he’ll talk to you then. He also says not to worry, bc he knows your royally colossal head is going to be in a fit over it.” Morgana grinned again, but her eyes looked serious. “After your big Pendragon Dinner-Fight, you can come by and have real Christmas with us.”

Arthur grumbled. He glared out the window the entire way to his apartment, and mumbled out his goodbye to Morgana as he made his way up to the steps of his building.

He checked his messages again.

He had one missed message from Merlin, that said only:

_I love you even if you’re an ass. And you better not have peeked._

Arthur groaned and fumbled his keys into the lock, and then fell face first onto his couch.

Trust Merlin to be an ass even from over text messages.

Of course, Arthur had been an ass first.

The point was, they were both at fault.

Trust them to fight right before Christmas.

Arthur drifted off on his couch, going in circles over whose fault this big fight was.

He woke to the shrill ring of his phone, and fumbled with the buttons to answer it. He blinked blearily at the name on the screen and then cursed. Uther Pendragon glowered at him from his phone screen, the name blinking over the top.

“Hey, dad, what’s up?” Arthur rubbed at his eyes and tried to ignore that he’d just been cussing at his dad.

“Your sister says she’s not coming to Christmas again this year.” Uther snapped.

“I believe Morgana’s words to you were ‘I’m never entering this house again’, and well. You’re still in the same house.” Arthur sat up and stuffed his feet back into the sneakers he’d kicked off before falling asleep. This was going to be one of those nights.

“She can’t really expect me to move just because she throws a tantrum.”

“You know, dad, I don’t think the house is exactly the problem. Maybe the fact that she’s a grown woman and you just referred to her setting boundaries as her throwing a tantrum has something to do with it. She’s a grown woman, she can take care of herself.”

“Why won’t she just let me help her? I know she’s got things to get fixed in her little hobble, and her girlfriend probably wants some extravagant wedding or something she can’t pay for.” Uther harrumphed, and Arthur could hear an edge of desperation to his father’s voice. Morgana had always been the favorite and Uther hadn’t fared well since her leaving.

“Look, dad, I’m about to head over there with a pack of beers and… I don’t know, what do you think of watching my old fencing videos?” Arthur looked around for his keys. “I’ll hang out there tonight. Just don’t keep complaining about Morgana, you know it’s a sore subject for me.”

Uther was quiet for a full minute, so that Arthur had to check and see if he’d hung up. Arthur stood at the door and waited until he heard Uther sigh heavily into the phone. “Yeah, ok, fine. I can’t believe I have to have conditions just to see my son.”

“You know, dad, just be glad I’m still willing to bring beer, ok?” Arthur chuckled as his dad harrumphed a second time. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

Despite Morgana’s teasing, Arthur _did_ have a car. It was a piece of crap (still better than Merlin’s) and he didn’t like to drive it a lot in case it fell apart, but it was his and he’d paid for it himself. He was determined to fix it up, and still had a few parts in storage to put on it when the weather warmed up. It was drivable for now, though.

He cursed as he sat in the cold seat, the chilled leather feeling like sheets of ice on his legs and back. His jacket was too thin for all this snow, but he hadn’t wanted to bother with the bigger one, so he just leaned forward and turned the heat on full blast.

Christmas music blared through his speakers. The roads were empty due to the storm, and he had to squint to see the lines on the roads. A gas station glowed like a beacon in the night, and Arthur pulled over to it just as he started to get anxious about the snow sticking to his windshield and piling up under his wipers. He left his car running, defrost turned up, and dashed into the gas station. He paid for the beer and hurried the rest of the way to Uther’s more than a little annoyed at having to get out late at night to assuage his father’s guilt.

Uther ushered him in to the warm house, ridiculously huge and a light in every window, and Arthur dumped the case of beer on the couch.

He wasn’t even really a fan of beer, but Uther insisted it was a man’s drink, and since the only other thing that seemed to be a man’s drink was whiskey, Arthur figured this was the better alternative.

They made it through three of Arthur’s videos, with Uther constantly offering unwarranted criticism (Arthur had won all three matches), before Uther broke down and asked about Morgana.

“You know, dad, I think it’s time for me to go take a shower and head off to bed.” Arthur shook his head.

“You know, I don’t understand where I went wrong with her.” Uther leaned back in his chair, his fifth bear cradled in his hands and his eyes glassy. “I tried to give that girl everything she wanted.”

“You threatened to have her locked up when you caught her sneaking out to meet Gwaine. You then threatened to have her beaten when you found out she was sneaking out to meet with Gwaine’s sister.” Arthur rubbed his eyes. “I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to see why she hates you, honestly.”

“I come from a different time, son. You know that I’ve changed.”

Arthur shot Uther a bemused expression. “Have you? So I assume then that Merlin can come to dinner this year, and you’ll be on your best behavior? Did you get him something for Christmas? Do you still have that list of people who aren’t allowed in your house for Bronwen? The one with Merlin’s and Gwen’s name at the top.” Arthur didn’t add ‘and all my other friends’, because he figured that’d be beside the point. “I bet if I went looking for it, I could still find it.”

“Bronwen quit last week. She said she’s got a better job working for a Lady Helen.” Uther grimaced. “I’ve had to replace her with some bloke named Gilli. He seems to be one of your lot.”

“You know, dad, that’s exactly the kind of thing you shouldn’t say.” Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Arthur was glad he’d only managed the one beer, and only half of it. When he got to the bathroom he pulled out his phone and checked for any messages.

Merlin was keeping true to not talking to him until Christmas. Arthur nearly threw his phone down in a fit, but decided instead to open up the messenger.

He felt a lot of things, bits of anger and a lot of loneliness, and a large portion of him wondered why he didn’t leave like Morgana had.

Uther certainly didn’t deserve his understanding.

But then Arthur thought of his father dying all alone in that giant house, about him leaving the lights on because that’s what Ygraine used to do, and he knew he couldn’t leave Uther to die by himself.

Even Gaius didn’t talk to the old guy any more.

Arthur opened up a new message and typed a few things out, deleting them all before he could send.

_Look, Merlin, I’m sorry for being a jerk._

_Hey, I’m just worried about you._

_I’m at Uther’s, do you think you could spare a minute to talk?_

_I just really missed you. You’ve been working a lot and I’ve barely seen you._

He deleted them all and set his phone down. He stripped down in seconds and stood under the hot water until it had all run out, which took a very, very long time in his father’s house.

By the time he got out, it was three in the morning and the videos were off, and all the beers were gone. His phone still hadn’t gone off, but Arthur had figured out what he wanted to say.

_Sorry for being an ass. I will try to do better. Again. Love you too._

He pressed send before he could work himself into a mess again and then collapsed in his old bedroom from high school.

The next day, he woke up at noon and wandered around his father’s house. It was extravagantly decorated, but felt more like a mall than a home. There were no family pictures, and Uther didn’t believe in leaving memories laying about the house. If it was up to Uther, his house would look like no one had ever lived in its pristine halls.

Arthur bumped into Gilli, or at least that’s who he assumed the nervous and scowling man was, in the library. He’d gone wide eyed and stern jawed and then circled around him to continue dusting.

“Dad says you’re gay.”

“Nope. Bisexual. Wouldn’t expect Mr. Pendragon to know the difference.”

“He really doesn’t.” Arthur held out a hand. “Name’s Arthur. I’m his pansexual son, and you’ve probably heard of Merlin, my bisexual boyfriend.”

“Yes, heard of. I’ve got a list with a few names on it.” Gilli patted his back pocket. “If you need them snuck in, don’t worry. I need this job, but not that badly.”

Arthur grinned and shook his head. “Don’t worry about the risk, Merlin wouldn’t step foot in this house if my dad tried to pay him.”

“Don’t blame him.” Gilli glanced around and then pulled the list from his pocket. “I don’t need that, honest, because he has another set up in the little room he has me sleep in, so you can take it. I’m sure yours isn’t up to date, anyway.”

Arthur sighed and took the paper, looking over it quickly.

He wasn’t surprised to see Elyan and Gwen’s names on there. Elyan had come storming in when Morgana had begun dating Gwen and Uther had called her some rather unfavorable names. He’d been taken away in a police car, but Arthur had threatened Uther with abandoning him for the rest of his days if he dared pressed charges. Then there was Gwaine, who had gotten banned when it was discovered he was dating Elyan and they’d had a big plan to prank the grumpy old man on Morgana’s birthday. It didn’t help that now he owned a bar in the bad part of town.

Perhaps more surprising was that Lancelot, who had saved Arthur’s life when they were kids and Arthur had gotten too macho with a Cliffside and a game of truth of dare, was on the list, one of the top five. Lance had died two years ago, and though Arthur had been upset, that event is what had eventually pushed Merlin and Gwen into being best friends. They’d both been close to Lance, apparently for different reasons. Arthur couldn’t imagine that Uther hadn’t heard the news, and yet, Lancelot’s name was there across the top.

Then of course, Merlin’s name, big and bolded and circled.

Merlin hadn’t ever actually met Uther, but with his reputation for picking fights and his unapologetic support of equal rights, he hadn’t had to meet him. Uther didn’t like being challenged and Merlin was nothing but a challenge for someone like Uther.

The next two days went by in a haze of irritation and skillfully avoiding mentioning anything that would set Uther off on another one of his tangents. When Uther got like this, Arthur wasn’t comfortable leaving him alone, but it was even worse being around him.

Finally, Christmas morning arrived and, aside from a picture of Morgana’s birds eating popcorn out of Merlin’s hand, he’d not heard anything from the other three. He knew he only had to get through this dinner, then he could see Merlin again and hopefully there’d been enough time that they could enjoy the holidays.

Arthur hadn’t bothered to get Uther anything. Uther didn’t like receiving gifts. He wouldn’t be impressed by anything, anyway, and always insisted that Arthur’s continued success was his only worthy gift. Instead, in an attempt to do something for the holidays, Arthur usually ended up cooking the Christmas desserts.

Uther hated the traditional Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. But Arthur had learned to make a rather pretty pumpkin tart, with a chocolate ganache bottom. Along with homemade chocolate mints and a honey drizzled orange zest cake, Arthur managed to pop out quick and easy desserts that sounded impressive enough to satisfy Uther and at least he knew his father’s sweet tooth would keep the food from being wasted.

He’d just closed the oven door when he heard the long, fancy doorbell sound off in the front entrance. He frowned, positive that they hadn’t been expecting any one and even more positive that anyone it could be would only bring trouble. He rushed to open the door before Gilli could get there.

He saw Morgana’s, Gwen’s, and Merlin’s feet poking out from underneath a pile of presents. He recognized the sloppily wrapped red and green ones as Merlin’s, and noted that there was four, not three of them, and tried to stifle the groan from the back of his throat.

“What are you guys doing here?” He asked, the words tumbling out on top of each other.

“What a greeting. Nice to know you missed me, little brother.” A stack of perfectly wrapped, pearly white gifts fell to the floor and Morgana marched in, head held high and eyes darting around to look for Uther. “Where’s Uther?”

“What are you guys doing here? Really? You know, two of you are on a list to not be allowed in here. Like, ever?”

“Yeah, we know. Elyan told us about the list.” Gwen tiptoed in behind Morgana, peering around her brightly colored boxes to look behind Morgana. “Merlin’s apparently the star of the show on it.”

“He is. Are you three here to start something? Uther’s been particularly bad this year. I mean, I’ve been here three days. I’m not going to say I’m not relieved to see you, it’s just…”

Merlin scooted his presents in and left them sitting beside the door, tugging off his long red scarf and wrapping it around Arthur’s flour dusted shoulders. “You look like you’ve been baking.”

“Only easy stuff,” Arthur grinned when Merlin leaned in and kissed him on the nose. “Am I forgiven then?”

“Not hardly. Morgana told me how you argued with her.” Merlin narrowed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have to explain my decisions to you.”

“Look, I’m not asking you to stop living in that damned car, but I’m afraid if you don’t get a place to live soon that has heating and walls and a bed, that you’ll end up dead.” Arthur pulled Merlin into a hug, despite the boy’s quickly reddening cheeks. “I just love you ok, and I’m not used to people not wanting my help.”

“You sure can get sappy when you want, you know it.” Morgana rolled her eyes behind them. “Look, we didn’t show up here because I suddenly had a change of heart or anything. We showed up because Merlin had news and he didn’t want it to wait.”

“I got a place!” Merlin burst out, his cheeks glowing even more brightly red. “You said I’ve been working super late. I finally managed to get a place to stay. I mean, it’s pretty run down, and I don’t know how well the heat functions, but if I get enough blankets then I can surely stay warm.”

Arthur grinned and picked Merlin up, swinging him around. “You have a real place to live! That’s amazing. We’ll stay there tonight.”

“I don’t know, I thought you’d want to go by and get your presents and stuff.” Merlin was bouncing on his feet with excitement. “Don’t we have to have some kind of dinner first?”

“Well, I’m not sure we have enough food for the sudden increased number of guests.”

Everyone froze as the voice sounded from the stairwell.

Uther was looking over all of them, and he didn’t look happy.


End file.
